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Research
FAQ
Why should I hire a
Researcher?
Everybody uses research. An
Information Professional can find the targeted information you need
more efficiently than you can yourself. And a researcher can
process that information to make it useful and actionable, freeing
you up to actually do your job.
I know how to use
Google. Can't I just look it up on the web?
Search engines and “the web” look at
only a tiny fraction of the information that is actually available
“on-line.” The internet is a large, unordered collection of truly
valuable gems hidden beneath piles of useless sludge. It takes more
than a few keywords in any search engine to find the right
information.
So how do you
find it?
We have learned how to access the
“invisible web.” This is the goldmine that the search engines just
cannot find. Much of it is hidden in fee-based databases or other
restricted-access websites. Even the freely accessible sites often
require “deep-mining” to extract the relevant information, analyze
it and compile it into a useable format.
I already know
about databases and restricted-access websites. And I have
access.
Good for you! You are ahead of the
curve. Now, what did you neglect while you were searching that
database? How many items got added to your to-do list while you
were digging through your digital treasure trove? Instead of
watching your to-do list lengthen, join the growing list of
companies currently outsourcing their research tasks. Check.
Doesn't that feel good?
I'm just going to
hire a full-time researcher.
Great idea! Maybe. You might want to
consider some of the strategic differences between an independent
information professional (IIP) and somebody in-house. The IIP will
likely have more objectivity and greater access to information
vendors (remember, most of these vendors require access fees). The
IIP also has a variety of clients, resulting in wider experience
than an in-house researcher is likely to attain. In essence, the
IIPs job is one long continuing education course, which means more
knowledge to draw on and produce results.
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